


Spirit of the Village

by Shadow_of_Quill



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Snippets, genus locum, sentient city fic, sleeplessness leads to weird fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-26 01:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_of_Quill/pseuds/Shadow_of_Quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's more to Naruto than people see... or understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spirit of the Village

**Author's Note:**

> ...I've got to stop reading Silver Pard's fics late at night.

Genus Locum. A term from another world, another language. 

Genus Locum. Spirit of a place. 

Genus Locum. 

Naruto. 

***

Kushina was not born to Konoha, was born to Uzu, but Konoha hears the dying scream of its sibling and keeps this final child for itself, a treasure it gives to its best to ensure she is held as tightly as it can. 

Minato has no idea why he is so driven to hide their relationship. 

Precious things should never be visible among thieves and murderers, and what else are ninja? 

***

Konoha is a Village of Ninja. Trickery and shadows, smoke and mirrors that are made of flesh and blood and chakra, these are more a part of it than the trees that its founder grew. 

Disguises and layers of misdirection and so deep below it all lie the Roots. 

***

They think that Konoha's Genus Locum is a tree. 

Humans can be so foolish. 

***

The monstrous Beast, many-tailed Beast, is killing it and must be stopped, must be held. 

Konoha knows this. Konoha is a Ninja Village, and understands sacrifice and power in ways that humans cannot. 

Konoha's Best looks on his first son, his only child, as he prepares to turn him into a Jinchuuriki, and sees the Village he will die for look back from blue eyes. He does not know whether he should laugh or scream curses, and all he can think to say is that his son must be known as a hero, as the Village's Protector. 

Sandaime never understands what Minato is trying to tell him. 

Jiraiya looks into the eyes of his godson and sees the same as his dead student, and finds reasons and excuses to avoid this responsibility. 

He has fled the Village before, will do so again, and he refuses to raise the Village that killed his finest student. 

***

The Roots are poisoned. 

Konoha cannot stop the man responsible. It cringes as its strength is sapped and then destroyed by one seeking to weaken it enough to claim it as his own. 

Naruto cries out with agony as one of Konoha's founding clans is all but destroyed. The Sandaime thinks the seal is weakening and allowing the Beast's chakra through, cringes and holds the child until the pain diminishes and he decides the seal has adjusted to whatever was wrong. 

The truth never crosses his mind. 

***

Naruto grows with a fierce love of Konoha and its people that no one understands, that very few look close enough to see. 

Even fewer look close enough to see how those he likes are welcomed by the Village. 

***

Naruto knows Sasuke for his in a way he has no words for, a way no one explains to him and so he tells himself Sasuke is his rival, and Sasuke feels the Village brimming with something like antagonism and never knows to connect it to the blond boy who shouts so loudly that he will someday beat Sasuke. 

***

Sakura is civilian, is careful of the Village and its people, and Naruto feels the brush of her hands over the Village's monuments and buildings and gardens and does not realise what he is feeling, only knows deeper than the surface of her fists on his head that Sakura is pretty and kind despite her anger. 

***

Hinata sees Naruto's strength, sees how large his spirit is. 

Hinata has no idea that she is looking at Konoha when she sees him, that she is sighing with pleasure at Konoha's strength and size and beauty. How could she, raised in a clan who deny the truth that blazes at them from underneath a cover of blazing orange? 

How could she, raised in a clan that denies the Village they live in is alive? 

***

Shikamaru notices something about Naruto. He will never put it in words. If he is wrong, it would make him sound foolish; if he is right, speaking of it would reveal a weakness that could destroy everything in his life. 

Naruto is accepted by him and his friends. Shikamaru smirks to himself when things fall in his favour more than they should. 

No harm in being on the good side of Naruto. Whoever he may be. 

Whatever he may be. 

***

Most of the class don't stand out to Naruto. Clan heirs, yes, and so he is aware of them - but they do not draw his attention. 

Konoha recognises that they will not be important to it. 

***

Kiba tries to proclaim himself top dog, and has no idea why the Village seems to turn against him, doors sticking and roots tripping him and the sensation oh-so-rarely that the place he lives in is laughing at him. 

***

ANBU trying to catch Naruto as he runs through Konoha have no idea why they fail so spectacularly. 

How could they expect to catch him? Naruto wonders, laughing with exhileration at the thrill of their latest chase. How could they catch him unless he let them, here, on his own turf? 

***

Kakashi is one of Konoha's favoured. Konoha expects this to be returned when he is chosen as Naruto's Instructor. 

It hurts in ways that Naruto has no words for when the silver-haired man refuses to see him in favour of the Uchiha on the team. 

Konoha stands before one of its favourite sons, and is not seen. The wielder of the Sharingan, which is renouned for its clear sight, does not look closely enough to recognise the Village he has fought and bled for all his life. 

Konoha is known as the kindest of the Villages with reason. Kakashi has no idea that his wellbeing is proof of it. 

***

Naruto looks at Haku. Konoha sees a new bloodline, one in need of sanctuary, one willing to pay with loyalty and sacrifice, and wants. 

Naruto mourns Haku's death. Konoha mourns the loss of the Ice. 

No one realises. 

***

Naruto hates Orochimaru the moment he sees him, though he thinks it is only because the man is attacking him, clearly enemy. 

He does not hear his own Self hissing _enemy_ , and _betrayer_ , and _how dare you ever think I would cower beneath your heel_. He only knows that he hates, and he will do his best to kill. 

***

Naruto is shocked when Sasuke leaves, insists he will bring him back. 

Konoha has lost the Senju. It refuses to lose the Uchiha. 

***

Sealed within the Village he tried to destroy, the Beast laughs to itself and waits as the people around its prison poison him without ever realising what they are dealing with. Someday it will be free. 

Someday the Village it hates so will die. 

It is sweet to think that the two conditions rely on each other.


End file.
